They both knew the answer to that. Dani had a lot of curves. She wasn’t little anywhere and for the most part she was okay with that. It was when her co-workers roped her into their healthy eating challenges that she became a female version of hulk. She was not very nice if she was hungry. “I’ve lost some self-respect. Does that count as weight loss?”
Aurelis choked on a giggle. “Why would you say that? What did you do?”
“Come on. I have to hide what I eat from the weight obsessed women at work or I won’t hear the end of it. Doesn’t help that one of them is my boss.”
“Yeah. That part sucks.” Aurelis picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth. “This isn’t technically unhealthy. We have fruit.”
“Which I will gladly eat along with my scone, thank you very much.” She drank her coffee and sat back with a sigh.
Her boss and co-workers weren’t exactly mean. Dani would never sit there and let anyone talk shit about her weight to her. But they were stuck on the fact that she needed to lose some weight and be healthier.
“Do you tell them how many miles you walk and how you measure your food?” Aurelis asked.
“No. If I did, all it would do is open other doors for them to try and ‘help me’.”
It was true. Her weight wasn’t really a problem for Dani. After going through mass dieting as a teen, she realized her body tended to be on the big girl side and she was okay with that. So why did it bother her co-workers so much? It wasn’t like she sat down doing nothing all day. She walked, she ate healthy and she only ate cake a few times a month.
“You should just tell them you’re fine the way you are. Suggest they worry about their own problems instead of your body.”
She was close to doing just that, but she didn’t want the backlash that would follow. Especially from her boss. The woman had gotten it into her head that Dani couldn’t possibly know what healthy eating was because she was big. Or that she needed to be told to exercise when Dani walked to and from work every day, which was a few miles each trip. So she had a sweet tooth, big friggin’ deal.
“I might have to quit this job if they don’t stop it,” she said and bit into a strawberry. She scrunched her nose at the way the flavor of the fruit didn’t go with her coffee. “They are going to drive me to murder.”
Aurelis raised a brow. “Wow. That bad, huh? I told you. Just tell them to mind their own business.”
She chewed the fruit slowly. “They weren’t this bad before. I don’t know what’s gotten into them.”
“The fact they’re getting married and think the only thing standing between you and your dream man is your extra pounds.”
Dani snorted, “Too bad. Whatever man decides to love me is going to have a lot to love because I’m not going to kill myself to lose weight just to please a guy. I’m a big girl. I have curves.”
“That we do,” Aurelis agreed.
“I have flub and big thighs and a pudgy belly and if a man loves me then he won’t care.”
“Also true.”
“And any man who likes me will like my body as is. I’m not expecting to meet a man and immediately look for ways to change him. So he has to do the same with me.”
“Here, here!” Aurelis raised her coffee cup in salute. “You said it, chica!”
Dani giggled and broke off a piece of her scone. “I’m telling you. I’m sick of all the expectations some people have. This is me. Like it or don’t but I won’t change for anybody.”
“And that’s as it should be,” said a third person.
The women glanced over to the bakery entrance and saw an older woman walking in.
“Hi, Mrs. Wilder.” Aurelis waved her over. “Come sit with us.”
“I think I will,” Mrs. Wilder said, strolling over to their table. She was an older woman with a commanding presence and impeccable attire. Her powder-blue dress appeared to have been made for her. Though clearly older, she’d aged gracefully. With bright eyes and a wide smile, Dani could tell that she was definitely comfortable with herself.
“What are you doing here? You and I both know your cake can kick mine in the ass.” Aurelis smiled.
“Child, please. We both know cake is like beauty. Different preferences for different people.” Mrs. Wilder eyed Dani with interest. “You must be Daniella.”
She smiled wide. How the woman knew her, she couldn’t know but her best guess was that Aurelis had mentioned her lunchtime visits. “I am. Let me start off by saying that whatever you’ve heard is probably true but was either done under the influence of too much or not enough liquor.”